An open reading frame encoding a putative polypeptide very similar to several lysyl-tRNA synthetases was found 10 nucleotides downstream of Rhizobium meliloti gltX encoding glutamyl-tRNA synthetase. Expression of this gene complemented a mutation in lysS of Escherichia coli and led to the overexpression of a polypeptide of the expected mass (62 kDa), thus confirming that it encodes R. meliloti ...

Symbiotically essential genes have been identified in Rhizobium meliloti that are structurally and functionally related to chromosomal virulence (chv) genes of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Homologous sequences also exist in the genomes of other fast-growing rhizobia including Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium leguminosarum, and Rhizobium phaseoli. In Agrobacterium, the chvA and chvB loci are known to...

Deletions in the pSym megaplasmid of Rhizobium meliloti were produced at a high frequency, and their lengths varied according to incubation temperature. Morphological differentiation into large and small colonies occurred after heat treatment. Small colonies elicited pseudonodules on alfalfa roots.

The role of glycine betaine and choline in osmoprotection of various Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium, Mesorhizobium, Agrobacterium, and Bradyrhizobium reference strains which display a large variation in salt tolerance was investigated. When externally provided, both compounds enhanced the growth of Rhizobium tropici, Sinorhizobium meliloti, Sinorhizobium fredii, Rhizobium galegae, Agrobacterium tumef...

Sinorhizobium meliloti (Rhizobium meliloti) 2011 has the ability to produce the two acidic exopolysaccharides succinoglycan (EPS I) and galactoglucan (EPS II). EPS I is a branched heteropolysaccharide composed of octasaccharide repeating units, whereas EPS II is a linear heteropolysaccharide consisting of disaccharide subunits. The exo-exs and exp gene clusters are involved in the biosynthesis ...

Symbiotic DNA sequences involved in nodulation by Rhizobium must include genes responsible for recognizing homologous hosts. We sought these genes by mobilizing the symbiotic plasmid of a broad host-range Rhizobium MPIK3030 (= NGR234) that can nodulate Glycine max, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, Vigna unguiculata, etc., into two Nod- Rhizobium mutants as well as into Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Su...

We determined the sequences for a 260-base segment amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (corresponding to positions 44 to 337 in the Escherichia coli 16s rRNA sequence) from seven strains of fast-growing soybean-nodulating rhizobia (including the type strains of Rhizobium fredii chemovar fredii, Rhizobium fredii chemovar siensis, Sinorhizobium fredii, and Sinorhizobium xinjiangensis) and ...

The nodulating bacterium Sinorhizobium meliloti can utilize alpha-galactosides like melibiose and raffinose as sole sources of carbon and energy. We show that this utilization requires an AraC-like transcriptional activator, AgpT. When agpT was inactivated, Rhizobium meliloti could not utilize alpha-galactosides or induce genes required for transport and catabolism of these sugars. The agpT gen...

Sigma 54-dependent transcriptional activators such as Escherichia coli NtrC, Rhizobium meliloti NifA, and Rhizobium leguminosarum DctD share similar central and carboxy-terminal domains but differ in the structure and function of their amino-terminal domains. We have deleted the amino-terminal and carboxy-terminal domains of R. leguminosarum DctD and have demonstrated that the central domain of...